Checking or unchecking device.



No. 641,088. Patented Ban. 9, 1900. H. H. DUDLEY.

CHECKING 0R UNCHECKING DEVICE.

(Applicationjled May 15, 189?.) (No Model.)

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CHECKING OR UNCHECKING DEVICE. I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,088, dated J'anuary 9, 1900. Application filed May 15,1899. Serial No. 716,973. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HOWARD H. DUDLE Y, of the city of Spanish Lake, St.Louis county, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Oheckrein Attachments, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to automatic checkrein attachments; and it consistsof the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a harness-saddle with myimproved checkrein attachment in position thereon. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view taken approximately on the line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the tubularcasing which is secured to the harnesssaddle. Fig. 4; is an enlargedsectional view of the tubular casing and showing the different positionsof the base of the hook in said casing. Fig. 5 is a rear end elevationof the base of the hook to which the checkrein is attached.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates theusual harnesssaddle, and upon the top of the center of said saddle isfixed a tubular casing 2, with downwardly-projecting ears 3, throughwhich pass rivets 4, the same passing through the top layer of theharness-saddle. The forward end of this casing 2 is open and provided onits edge with a bead 5, and the rear end of said casing is provided witha transversely-arranged integral bar or plate 6, there being an opening7 formed near the top and bottom edges of said plate and the top andbottom portions of the rear end of said casing.

Formed integral with and projecting upwardly and rearwardly on theinside of the bottom of the casing 2 is a tongue 8.

9 indicates a leaf-spring, one end of which is riveted to the plate 6,and the body of said spring passes through the rear end of the casing 2,just in front of said plate 6, there being slots 10 formed in the rearend of the easing adjacent the ends of said plate 6 for the reception ofsaid spring.

11 indicates a hook to which the checkrein is secured, which hook isprovided with a circular block or base 12 on its rear end, in the frontface of which block is formed an annular recess 13. Formed integral withthe rear end of the sides of this base 12 are'ears 14,, which areclamped upon the center of a doubled strap 15, the same extendingrearwardly over the horses back and to and over the dashboard of thevehicle. A short distance to the rear of the point where said ears 14clampiupon said strap the two portions of said strap are joined by ashort section of leather 16. The hook 11 is provided with a suitabletongue 17, which normally closes the opening into said hook and preventsthe accidental dislodgment of the rear end of the checkrein.

When my improved device is in use, the rear end of the checkrein isengaged in the hook 11, as shown in Fig. 1, and the base 12 of the hook11 is drawn into the casing 2 in such a manner as that the point of thetongue 8 engages in the recess 13 in the front face of said base, and inthis position that portion of the spring 9 that is within the casing 2engages directly against the clamping-ears 14 upon the rear face of thebase 12. Said spring when in this position exerts enough pressure toretain the forward face of the base 12 against the tongu e 8. Thus thecheckrein is held in its rearward position, and when it is desired toloosen the cheekrein to allow the horse to lower his head the driver ofthe vehicle, without moving from the seat, manually engages the topportion of the strap 15 and pulls the same rearwardly. This movementnecessarily compresses the spring 9 and pulls the base 12 upwardly andrearwardly into the position shown by solid lines in Fig. 4, and when inthis position the point of the tongue 8 is free from the annular recess13 in the face of the said base, and a very slight forward movement ofthe checkrein and book 11 allows the base 12 to pass out of the casing2, and as the checkrein is pulled forwardly by the lowering movement ofthe horses head the two parts of the strap 15 will readily slide throughthe openings 7. When it is desired to check up the 'animals head, thedriver pulls rearwardly upon the strap 15 until the base 12 of the hook11 enters the casing 2, after which the lower portion of said strap 15is pulled, which movement necessarily elevates the rear lower corner ofsaid annular recess 13.

base 12, and as said base 12 passes to the rear end of the casing 2 thespring 9 is compressed and the point 8 of the tongue passes into the Theposition of the base during the pulling upon the lower portion of thestrap 15 is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4.

By the use of a device of my improved construction the driver oftheanimal maycheck up or uncheck the animals head Without alighting fromthe vehicle, and said device is simple, inexpensive, and veryefficientin use.

I claim The improved checking and unchecking attachment, comprising thetubular casing 2 secured to the harness-saddle, the transverse bar orplate 6 arranged across the open rear end of said casing, the tongue 8projecting rearwardly upon the interior of said casing,

- the leaf-spring 9, one end of which is riveted to said plate 6 and thebody of said'spring passing through slots 10 in the rear end of saidcasing in front of said plate, the checkrein-hook 11 provided at itsrear end with the circular block or base 12, said block being recessedat 13 for engaging said tongue 8, means for securing a strap to the rearof said block, and a doubled strap 15, one portion of which enters saidcasing through an opening above said transverse bar 6 and the otherportion of which enters said casing through an opening beneath said bar,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my si gnaturein presence of two witnesses.

HOWARD H. DUDLEY. Witnesses:

M. P. SMITH, JOHN C. HIGDON.

